Folding gameboard and rigidifying and turning attachment therefor



Dec. 18, 1956 2,774,599

G- M. DUNN FOLDING GAMEBOARD AND BIGIDIFYING AND TURNING ATTACHMENTTHEREFOR Filed Oct. 11, 1954 Gilbert M Dunn INVENTOR.

hired States Patent FOLDING GAMEBOARD AND RIGIDIFYING AND TURNINGATTACHMENT THEREFOR Gilbert M. Dunn, Concord, Application October 11,1954, Serial No. 461,396 5 Claims. (Cl. 273---136) usual step-by-stepmanner without disturbing the playing pieces on the top surface of theboard. I

It is a matter of common knowledge that playing boards in the categoryof endeavor under advisement are usually rectangular in plan and aremade up of hingedly connected half-sections which .fold into overlappingrelation 5 for compactness and convenience when not in use, similar, forexample, to well known checker boards. These boards are, of course, madeof various kinds of sheet material,

such as Masonite, linoleum, commercial plastics, etc. in

playing games such as keyword and scrabble, the players constantlyencounter the inconvenience of rotating the board so that it faces eachplayer when it is his turn to play. The need for turning the playingboard is recurrent with each play. As is well known, it is a step orstage in the play which is frequently clumsily handled resulting indelay and often in a controversy over disturbed playing pieces.

There has long existed the need, "it is submitted, for a practicaladdition to the simple sectional folding-typerplaying board to.appropriately solve the difficult-to-handle turning problem. Renderingthe conventional-type playing board freely and readily turnableacceptably and without fuss is destined to materially add to thepleasure of the game and promote its continued popularity. The instantinvention has to do, therefore, with a playing board having flat top andbottom surfaces with the required printed playing media. Pivot means, ofone type or another, is provided, and utilized on the bottom surface andsituated at the central axial turning point of the board and is adaptedto slightly space the bottom surface above the table or other supportsurface, this in a manner to permit the board to be progressively turnedby hand in a horiboard may be handily turned step-by-step and withoutdisturbing the playing pieces on the top surface thereof.

zontal plane about a vertical axis, whereby said playing An object ofthe invention is to provide a scrabble or equivalent playing boardconstructed as above stated wherein the required pivoting means may bemade-2min-v tegral part of the board by the manufacturer, or, may, as isherein more clearly observed, be made in the form of readily attachableand detachable accessory means to supplement theconventional board andtorender it turnable for the purposes'stated. 1 1 v 1 A further obj ct ofthe invention is to structurally, functionally andotherwise improve uponsimilarly constructed and performing game boards and the like and,indoing so, to provide an'adaptation'. in which manufacturers, retailersandusers will find their respective requirements and needs effectuallycontained and met. i More specifically, novelty is predicated on aconstruction, this in the form of an attachment, which issuited to2,774,599 Patented Dec. 18, 1956 "ice 2 volume construction, will retaileconomically on a volume sales basis, which is in keeping with therequirements of low shipping costs per unit, is compact, convenient andotherwise adaptable to fulfill the requirements to be satisfied.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparentfrom the following description and the accompanying sheet ofillustrative drawings.

In the drawings, wherein li ke numerals are employed to designate. likeparts-throughout the views:

Figure l is a bottom perspective view of a scrabble or equivalentplaying board constructed in accordance with the principles of thepresent invention with the board in readiness for use;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken approximately on the central sectionline 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction .of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the pivoting means, this as anattachment, and showing the same by itself and with its componentsassembled to provide a handy triple-part assemblage providing a compactand convenient package; and

Figure 4 is'a cross-section on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Referring now and more particularly to the drawings .by way of referencenumerals and accompanying lead lines, the numeral 3 designates asuitable playing board which, as before mentioned, is convenientlyidentified here as a scrabble or equivalent game board. The matter ofmaterials, shape and size is immaterial insofar as the essence of theinvention is herein concerned. While the playingboard could be ofone-piece solid construction, it is, generally and preferably, the stylecommonly used, and is therefore made up or'composed of rectangularcompanion half-sections which are denoted by the numerals 4 and 5. The.adjacent longitudinal edges. of the half-sections are hingedly connectedtogether by that which may be identified broadly as a hinging seam orequivalent means 6. The means here comprises lengthwise strips of tape,fabric tape, for example, which are denoted by the numerals 7 and 8.These bridge the joint at the complemental edges. of the sections 4 and5 and provide a well known type of folding hinge. Although it is of nopatentable moment here, it is to be explained that the playing boardwill, of course, be properly decorated by printing and the flat top sidewill have appropriate printed media thereon for playing the gameaccording to the rules.

' It is within the purview of the inventive concept herein underadvisement that the playing board 3 may be turned out bythe manufacturerwith centrally disposed depending pivot means to render it turnable. Inthese circumstances, the meansis therefore broadly referred toconventional scrabble board. In carrying out this aspect of the over-allconcept, I provide severalcomponents; namely, two'ada'pters ltl. and 12and a complemental strip "member 14. In practice, the "strip member sofar used is a'fiexible steel strip having rounded marginally beveledends 16 and 18. There is a central indented or extruded boss at 20, asshown in Figure 2, which provides the central pivot or spindle. Thenumeral 22 mere lyz'designates a patch of felt or the like which coversthe boss or pivot and serves to guard against marring the table or othersupport surface (not shown). The strip 14 is slightly shorter than thesurface of the playing board against which it is positioned. It is alsowide enough to bridge the hinge or seam, more specifically, the joint 6between the hinged sections 4 and 5. Therefore, it is applied againstthe bottom and partly overlaps and is thus superimposed against thehinging seam, as illustrated in the drawings, and it serves as astifiener and it is detachably maintained in place by way of theadapters 10 and 12. l

The adapters are preferably channel-shaped members and each is the samein construction and the description of one will sufifice for both. Eachadapter comprises a relatively narrow flange 24 which fits over themarginal portion of the top surface and a wider bottom flange 26 whichcontacts the bottom surface; the flanges being joined by a web 28. Theseflanges are resilient and slightly yieldable so that they may be easilyslipped on and off, that is, applied and removed to the cooperatingmarginal edge portions of the playing board. They are preferably inspaced parallelism and opposite one another, and they are put inposition first and then, the strip member 14 is applied and the roundedbeveled ends are wedged in between the playing board and the bottomflanges. The flanges thus serve to clampingly hold the strip 14 inplace. The aforementioned leveling and board balancing members orelements are of any appropriate construction. They are here shown in theform of felt disks 36-30 which are glued or otherwise fastened to thebottom of the wide flange 26 whereby these four felt disks or membersare circumferentially spaced and cooperate with the center pivot in anobvious manner. These adapters 10 and 12 serve not only as anchors forthe pivot-equipped strip member, they also constitute braces forrigidifying the playing board. When they are applied in the centeredpositions shown, they bridge the hinge joint 6 and thus convert theoblong folding board into ready-to-use rigid square form. When therounded ends of the strip 14 are wedged in place between the bottomsurface of the board and the bottom flanges of the adapters, they arethus frictionally maintained in place, and the attachment when thusapplied becomes a temporary rigidifying and turning device or means forthe playing board. That is to say, with the attachment in place theplaying board is rigid and may be manually and optionally turned in ahorizontal plane about a vertical axial center. The felt covered pivot20 becomes the spindle on which the entire assembly is elevated ever soslightly to eleminate friction drag and to allow rotation of the boardwith the slightest touch. The felt covered pivot depends to an elevationslightly below the coplanar felt disks 3G30 so that adequate clearanceis provided, and yet, wobbling and tilting of the board is prevented.The board is now complete with the point of contact with the playingtable at the point of rotation and four balancing points, one at each ofthe two side channel members. The five contact points are covered withfelt padding to protect the playing surface from damage during theplaying of the game. 7

It will be evident that the subject matterof the invention has to do notonly with a playing board provided with centralized pivot meansregardless of the mode of construction involved, the rigidifyingaccomplishment is also of significance and importance. That is to say,the idea of providing structural means which allows the halfsections tobe spread out in coplanar relation and sustained in this flat state byway of attachable and detachable adapters or the like is a phase of thematter to be taken into account here. It will be recalled, in thisconnection, that sectional and foldable game boards in this field ofendeavor are often too flimsy for satisfactory use and the sectionsoften are out of line with one another when the board is spread out foruse. The application of the attachment overcomes this difficulty and afirm and stable playing board is thus assured when the adapters areattached in the manner herein illustrated.

Then, too, the phase of the over-all invention emphasized by way ofFigures 3 and 4 is likewise important. Therefore, emphasis is to beaccorded the aforementioned objective which has to do with low shippingcosts per unit and compactness and convenience attending the same. Thatis to say, the packaging merits of the assembly or unit seen in Figures3 and 4 are not to be overlooked, and it will be noted in thisconnection that the components 10, 12 and 14 provide the desired nestingaccomplishment in that the channel-shaped adapters 10 and 12 telescopetogether, as brought out particularly in Figure 4, the strip memberbeing sandwiched therebetween. This extreme compactness is a verydesirable feature to both the manufacturers and users. This nestedarrangement is compact enough to fit easily into boxes used by themanuafacturers of scrabble and keyword games, without additional orneeded space for packaging.

It is believed that the invention herein disclosed will aptly andsatisfactorily serve a long felt need and that it therefore constitutesan appreciable achievement in that it is a practical aid to a currentlypopular table game extensively used by those who like and advocate itsuse.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will bereadily understood and further explanation is believed to beunnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction shown and described, andaccordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resortedto, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use on and in association with a manually foldable tabletypegameboard, a rigidifying and turning attachment for said gameboardcomprising a strip member separate from said gameboard and having apivoting boss intermediate its respective ends, and clamping andretaining adapters removably attachable to opposite marginal edgeportions of said gameboard and adapted to bridge the central portion ofsaid gameboard parallel to each other and at right angles to said stripmember, the ends of said strip member being detachably connectible withthe intermediate portions of said adapters, whereby to permit thegameboard to be converted from its compact folded form to unfoldedplaying form with the half-sections coplanar and joined rigidly witheach other.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, and wherein said adapters arechannel-shaped in cross-section, each adapter having resilient flangeswhich lend themselves to ready application and removal in relation tothe cooperating surface of the half-sections of said gameboard.

3. The structure defined in claim 2, and wherein said adapters are eachof a length less than the length of said strip member and the stripmember is of a thickness less than the cross-section of the channels inthe respective adapters whereby the strip member may be fitted into thechannels and the two adapters telescoped together I in a manner tosubstantially retain the strip member situated therebetween forcompactness and convenience of handling and packaging after the adaptersand strip member have been completely removed from the complementalportions of said gameboard.

4. In combination, a relatively thin portable playing board having flattop and bottom. surfaces and embodyinga pair of folding half-sectionshaving adjacent edges connected by way of a hinging seam, pivot meansunderlying and contacting said seam and having a board pivotingbosssituated at the central axial turning point of said board and adapted tospace said bottom surface above a table or other support surface in amanner to permit the board to be optionally and manually turned in ahorizontal plane about a vertical axis, said pivot means comprising areadily applicable and removable strip member separate from said board,said strip memher having the stated boss midway between its respectiveends, said strip member being of a length substantially commensuratewith the length of said seam, and a pair of individual and rigidifyingadapters removably and frictionally attached to their intendedrespective opposite marginal edge portions of said board and bridgingsaid seam, said adapters being parallel to each other and disposed atright angles to said strip member, the respective ends of said stripmember being detachably connected with their respective adapters.

5. The structure defined in claim 4, and wherein each adapter iselongate, channel-shaped in cross-section and embodies top and bottomflanges clampingly and frictionally contacting the respective top andbottom surfaces of said board, and small felt disks fastened to 152,098,417

6 the underneath surface each bottom flange adjacent the respective endsof each flange, said disks constituting table contacting and boardleveling and balancing members the bottoms of said disks being in acommon plane, a plane slightly above the lowest plane of said boss.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS132,905 Fleishman Nov. 12, 1872 662,948 Lawrence Dec. 4, 1900 1,512,442Arnold Oct. 21, 1924 1,673,825 Hofiman June 19, 1928 1,941,558 LabbeJan. 2, 1934 Fisher Nov. 9, 1937

